With numerous starts and stops, the evacuation of residents in Aleppo has once again been halted. The New York Times relays word from multiple sources who claim convoys are being attacked with pro-government fighters carrying out “execution style” shootings on civilians. Communication issues are also contributing to the chaos. No end appears to be in sight.
On Tuesday, a ceasefire was agreed upon between Turkey and Russia in order to evacuate civilians out of eastern Aleppo. But that agreement quickly broke down, and more than 50,000 people were still in that part of the city. And even when rescue workers made their way to the city, civilians were still being fired upon. The BBC says a Syrian official holds militants accountable for not respecting the ceasefires.
To further complicate matters, there are differing accounts of how the evacuation has been handled. Russia, a key Syrian ally, said the evacuation was a success, reporting that more than 9,500 people have left the city. But Turkey officials said Russia may be stretching the truth, and many more people need to leave the area. The BBC claims approximately 6,000 people have gotten out of the Syrian city, with 2,700 of them being children.
(Via New York Times & BBC)